Ella Parker's trip had been the topic of conversation among fans for a year prior. According to Rob Hensons' ''Then'' (Vol, 3, No. 1): "SKYRACK 32 (May '61) carried the news that Ella Parker intended to be at the 1962 Worldcon, to be held that year in Seattle during September. Originally, Parker had intended to finance the trip herself by "saving like mad" and had only confided in a few people as to her plans. One of these confidants was Ron Bennett who, in February, had sent Parker a copy of SKYRACK 29 with the headline 'ELLA PARKER FOR SEACON' emblazoned across its front cover, over an accompanying report. Understandably annoyed, Parker immediately sent Bennett a letter blasting him for breaking her trust -- only to discover, when she phoned Ethel Lindsay, that hers had been the only copy of SKYRACK 29 with that front page. As Bennett recalls:

Ella Parker's trip had been the topic of conversation among fans for a year prior. According to Rob Hensons' ''Then'' (Vol, 3, No. 1): "SKYRACK 32 (May '61) carried the news that Ella Parker intended to be at the 1962 Worldcon, to be held that year in Seattle during September. Originally, Parker had intended to finance the trip herself by "saving like mad" and had only confided in a few people as to her plans. One of these confidants was Ron Bennett who, in February, had sent Parker a copy of SKYRACK 29 with the headline 'ELLA PARKER FOR SEACON' emblazoned across its front cover, over an accompanying report. Understandably annoyed, Parker immediately sent Bennett a letter blasting him for breaking her trust -- only to discover, when she phoned Ethel Lindsay, that hers had been the only copy of SKYRACK 29 with that front page. As Bennett recalls:

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"Ella, realising that she'd been had, sent me a terse telegram (with what was to become her constant greeting to me): 'BENNETT, YOU BASTARD!'."

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"Ella, realising that she'd been had, sent me a terse telegram (with what was to become her constant greeting to me): 'BENNETT, YOU BASTARD!'."

Bennett reported that the Parker Pond Fund had been set up, administered by Don Ford and Betty Kujawa in the US and by Ted Forsyth over here, for those who wanted to make donations towards the trip. Parker had a particular reason for wanting to attend the Seattle Worldcon, one that involved Seattle fan, Wally Weber. As Harry Warner Jr explains:

Bennett reported that the Parker Pond Fund had been set up, administered by Don Ford and Betty Kujawa in the US and by Ted Forsyth over here, for those who wanted to make donations towards the trip. Parker had a particular reason for wanting to attend the Seattle Worldcon, one that involved Seattle fan, Wally Weber. As Harry Warner Jr explains:

Revision as of 13:10, 9 June 2012

Subtitled "The Harpy Stateside", it was published in the UK in April 1962. Parker's Peregrinations was Ella Parker's account of her tour of the U.S.A. meeting science ficion fans across the continent.

Parker's Peregrinations was among the Top Ten fanzines in the Skyrack Reader's Poll of Best British Fan Publications for 1962. It was also voted 'Best Fanzine Report' for the same year. Ella herself was voted 'Fan Personality of the Year' for 1962.

Ella Parker's trip had been the topic of conversation among fans for a year prior. According to Rob Hensons' Then (Vol, 3, No. 1): "SKYRACK 32 (May '61) carried the news that Ella Parker intended to be at the 1962 Worldcon, to be held that year in Seattle during September. Originally, Parker had intended to finance the trip herself by "saving like mad" and had only confided in a few people as to her plans. One of these confidants was Ron Bennett who, in February, had sent Parker a copy of SKYRACK 29 with the headline 'ELLA PARKER FOR SEACON' emblazoned across its front cover, over an accompanying report. Understandably annoyed, Parker immediately sent Bennett a letter blasting him for breaking her trust -- only to discover, when she phoned Ethel Lindsay, that hers had been the only copy of SKYRACK 29 with that front page. As Bennett recalls:

"Ella, realising that she'd been had, sent me a terse telegram (with what was to become her constant greeting to me): 'BENNETT, YOU BASTARD!'."

Bennett reported that the Parker Pond Fund had been set up, administered by Don Ford and Betty Kujawa in the US and by Ted Forsyth over here, for those who wanted to make donations towards the trip. Parker had a particular reason for wanting to attend the Seattle Worldcon, one that involved Seattle fan, Wally Weber. As Harry Warner Jr explains:

"Only a few weeks into 1960, Wally Weber became so exasperated by the continuing failure of his long efforts to irritate her that he called her a stupid clod of a woman. Immediately, Ella became the topic of the universe's third special fund for a fan trip, in 1961, so she could go all the way to Seattle and take action appropriate to the magnitude of the Weberian remark."

Ella Parker left for America on Tueday the 22nd of August 1961, and returned December 2nd of that same year. During her time abroad, Skyrack published regular dispatches from fans in America on Ella's journey.